


Speechless

by Dragoniangirl



Category: Dr. STONE (Manga)
Genre: Gen, Gen being an idiot, I couldn't help myself, Senku has some mild panic over a friend, Sickfic, Suika being cute, a little Sengen implied at the end, but whoops because so much longer, even while mute Gen can still manipulate people, it was only supposed to be a short addition, this should not have taken so long to write
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-07
Updated: 2020-06-09
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:14:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23524411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dragoniangirl/pseuds/Dragoniangirl
Summary: Gen flexes his voice mimicry skills and pays the price
Comments: 17
Kudos: 163





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Came up with a silly idea while at work the other day and decided to actually to write it out rather than let it linger in my brain. First time actually writing fan fiction. Please be gentle.

* * *

It was a peaceful fall afternoon. Gen had managed to slip out of the lab just as Senku was getting ready to launch into another complicated project for the construction of the Perseus. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to help the scientist but when Senku was excited about a project, he had a bad habit of rambling on and on about it, spouting words and formulas that made Gen’s eyes go cross and his head spin. At times like those Gen found it best to slip away before things became too intense and he would be expected to participate.

As he wandered around the outskirts of the village he came across Suika and a few of the other children playing. It looked as though they were having some kind of mock battle with one child standing beside a nearby tree, shouting commands. The others were taking turns waving fox-tails at one another, occasionally proclaiming someone having been hit with an attack or healed of their injuries. Suika took notice of Gen and waved for him to come over.

“Gen! Gen! Do you wanna play with us?”

He thought for a moment. By now Senku had probably noticed his absence and would be wondering where he’d gone off to. But is wasn’t as though Gen had left him completely alone. Chrome had also been at the lab that day. Surely the two would be fine without him there. Probably better since Gen more often than not had no clue about half the things Senku went on about. He’d just slow them down. Besides, helping keep moral up among the villagers was his job was it not? Keeping children entertained was certainly a better use of his abilities.

“Of course Suika-chan.” He finally said, walking towards the group. “What are we playing?”

“We’re fighting against an evil sorcerer who’s captured the white forest spirit!” the child beside the tree exclaimed. She gestured towards a sleeping Chalk beside her, the poor puppy looking as though the children had run him ragged.

“If we save him then we’ll have a blessed harvest this year!”

“Anzu and Shovel are underlings.” said another, handing Gen one of the fox-tails. “So you can play the evil sorcerer!”

Gen smiled. A simple game. Like cops and robbers. Though he was a little curious as to his given role. “Me? An evil sorcerer?”

Without pausing for thought the child responded. “Well, you already look like one.”

 _Touché child._ Gen thought. He couldn't disagree. He did often have a flare for overly devilish expressions and actions. Gingerly he took the fox-tail, twirling it around his fingers before palming it quickly and flashing a now empty hand. “Well I supposed if I must play an evil sorcerer I must play it to the best of my abilities.”

He took a few careful steps backwards towards the tree before twirling on one foot and thrusting his arms outward. A small explosion of flower petals appearing between him and the children. He produced a long stick that he’d scooped up earlier in his walk and brandished it like a wizard with a wand. Putting on his best menacing smile, he beckoned for the children to come at him. _One final touch,_ he thought. If he was going to play the part of an evil sorcerer then he was going to go all out. Remembering an old show he’d watched long ago, he did his best to imitate the main villain’s gravely voice.

“Try as you will brave _warriors_.” Gen said, his voice becoming deeper, his words dragged out for added emphases. “The forest _spirit_ is mine _**forever**_! You… shall _**never**_ defeat _me_!”

He ended with his best evil cackle, his voice suddenly loud and booming. He was quite pleased with his performance. It was always so much fun to be able to go all out. The children did nothing, looking between one another in silence. For a brief moment he wondered if that had been a little _too_ much flare. He did have a habit of being occasionally… over-dramatic.

His worries were quickly resolved when all at once the children rushed him, bright smiles on their faces and excitement in their eyes.

“Cool!”

“That’s amazing!”

“You sound so scary!”

“How’d you do that?!”

“Gen’s really good at voices!” Suika bragged, having heard him before when he had imitated Tsukasa and Lillian. “It’s like he becomes another person!”

A small smile spread across Gen’s face. It’d been a long time since he’d gotten so much praise for his vocal mimicry. In truth, it was a skill of his he’d always been a little proud of. It was just something he had a natural knack for. In fact, if his career as a mentalist hadn’t taken off, he had considered trying his hand at becoming voice actor.

He chuckled, twirling the stick in his fingers, “Aw Suika-chan, I’m flattered. But, I thought we were playing a game? Aren’t you all supposed to be saving the forest spirit?”

“This is way more interesting!” Shovel shouted, dropping her fox-tail and looking up with starry eyes. “Can you do more?!”

The others cheered in agreement, all clamoring with suggestions and requests. He considered. It wouldn’t be too difficult to imitate some of the people he’d met so far in this new world. But even with his skills, there were still limitations to what he could do. He hadn’t really gotten a chance to try and see just how far he could go with the voices he could make. After the phone plan, there hadn’t been any other need for such a skill. He chuckled again to himself. Why not? Who knew when he’d need to use his imitations again. This would be a good excuse for practice.

Holding up his hands to quiet the children down, Gen began plotting out the first voice to try. S _tart with something simple._ He thought. _Someone they’ll know. An easy voice_ _to mimic._

A person quickly came to mind. Their voice deep was like Tsukasa’s but not nearly as intimidating. Very easy for him to emulate. Gen continued to play with the stick in his hand as he began talking. “You see. Imitating a person is more than just copying how they sound.”

His voice began to drop as he spoke, taking on a measured rhythm. “It’s also about… copying mannerisms. Body language.”

He rolled his shoulders, straightening his back. He gripped the stick in his hand as though it were a longer weapon. “Learning to mimic a person’s speech patterns. Their little quirks and ticks often used.”

Pushing a finger up the bridge of his nose, adjusting glasses not there, he finished his transformation. “You could say… there are rules that you need to follow.”

It took the children all but a moment to guess Gen’s imitation.

“Ah Kinrou!”

“That’s Kinrou! That’s absolutely him!”

“Try someone else!”

“Ooh! Ooh! Do Argo next!”

This continued on for some time. Gen taking in suggestions and trying his best to imitate the named person or coming up with someone on his own and having the children guess who it was. Some voices came quite easily. Ones he’d heard often; Chrome and Senku were actually the easiest to imitate. Both had a certain level of energy to their speech but their quirks and speech patterns made it easy to copy. Chrome had a loud, energetic way of speaking that piqued every now and then for emphases. Senku’s voice was monotone when speaking normally but once he got onto a subject of passion, the excitement in his speech would begin to speed it up and his volume would increase.

He did discover some of his limitations for his vocal range. Age was one factor. Older voices were a little difficult to get sounding just right. Trying to emulate Kaseki was a little strained, though he was able to at least get his soft laugh. Kokuyo’s voice was about his cut off point in terms of older voices. His voice was rough and loud but went soft and gentle when getting sentimental. He attempted to copy some of the children of the village but it was hard to keep for a long time, his voice cracking as he tired to get the right sound. Mantle also felt into this category, his voice a little too high pitched and nasal for him to get perfect without having to pinch at the bridge of his nose for added assistance.

He was surprised at how many of the women he was able to imitate. He presumed that was from all the practice he’d done with Nikki to get his Lillian voice just right the year prior. He deftly jumped between the three “Sparkly Sisters” to the fussy Turquoise to the soft spoken Ruri without missing a beat. He struggled briefly to get the voice of Kohaku just right, hers being very boisterous and often changing in tone but eventually he got the hang of it.

He was in the midst of copying Magma, imitating his loud and hearty laugh, when his throat hitched and launched him into a small coughing fit.

“Gen are you all right?!” Suika exclaimed, her voice full of worry.

Gen held up a hand as he tried to settle his cough. He cleared his throat a few times before finally speaking. “I’m okay.” He was back to his normal voice though it sounded a little weak and strained. “But I think it might be a good idea to call it there for the day.” He nodded up towards a darkening sky, the sun beginning to set. “It’s getting late.”

The children agreed, waving goodbye as they raced back towards their homes. Suika remained, still looking a little concerned for Gen.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked again.

Gen smiled down at her, patting the top of her helmet. “I’m fine Suika-chan. Just a little tired.”

That seemed to reassure her, a smile returning to her face. She called for her dog and followed after the other children, shouting back a final good night. Gen waved as she left, waiting until she was out of sight before reaching up and rubbing at his throat.

He could already feel it begin to tighten.

Gen sighed, his breath coming out with a slight wheeze. He’d gotten too carried away. Turning to head back towards his hut, he hoped that if he put himself to rest now, the results in the morning wouldn’t be so bad.

* * *

In hindsight, he really should’ve expected this.

Gen awoke the next morning and could already feel the tightness in his throat. Tentatively he swallowed, wincing almost immediately at the pain. He sat up and gave his voice a small test. A dry, hoarse sound was the most he could manage. He sighed, draping his arm over his forehead in shame. How embarrassing to let such a thing happen to him. He was a performer. He should’ve known better and paced himself the day before. He’d pushed his voice way too far.

He pondered over his options; Stay in bed and hope his voice returned or go out and face the world sounding like a fifty year old chain smoker.

The best option would be to just stay in bed and rest his voice but that sort of thing was really reserved for when someone was sick, which he wasn’t. It was just that his voice was gone. Besides, he’d skipped out on work with Senku the day before. Surely the scientist would make absolutely sure to put him to work today to make up for lost time, voice or no voice. He could almost hear Senku right now.

“ _You lost your voice? Well maybe now we can get some work done in peace.”_

Gen pouted. He didn’t want to hear that. He knew he messed up and that it was his own fault but he didn't particularly feel like hearing a lecture about it from Senku. He needed to do something to hasten his recovery. He tried to recall what he used to do in the past when his voice was sore from a night of long performances.

Drink lots of water. That would be easy. And tea? They had tea. It wasn’t exactly the same blend he used to drink in ancient modern times, but it was good enough. He stood and made his way to the box he had started for the various flora he’d been collecting. He’d amassed a rather decent sized collection by this point though it was still dwarfed in comparison to Chrome’s. He was proud of it none the less. The myriad of plants he had ranged in usefulness, for use with his magic tricks to aid in medicine. Surely he had something that could help him now.

Right away he picked out a decently sized knob of ginger root. That was good for making tea for sore throats. Chamomile would’ve been an excellent addition as well but he wasn’t sure if he had much left. He seemed to recall using a large amount of it recently in an attempt to help get a certain stubborn scientist roommate to actually get some sleep for once. He glanced over at the vacant bed beside his, noting it didn't look like it had even been touched the night before. Once again, it would seem Senku had spent the night in the lab. Well, at least Gen’d be able to avoid seeing him for a little while longer while he tried to get a handle on his voice.

Shaking his head, he returned to his search. Lavender was good and he had a lot of that, having found a rather large patch of it recently. Wracking his brain for additional remedies he remembered honey and lemon were very good with aching, sore throats but he had neither at the hut. Those ingredients were, however, at the food preparation area where Ryusui’s butler spent the mornings prepping everyone’s meals for the day. It was possible he could get Francois to give him some if he asked.

That was, if he even could ask.

He tested his voice again. Trying to see just how much sound he could produce.

“ _A_ _ah_ _…_ _a_ _a_ _h_ _h_ _…_ _hell~oooooo_ _…_ ”

Still hoarse but it was at least audible. He could get a few words at least. Francois was smart. They’d figure out what Gen needed from just a couple words, right? He hastily got dressed, opting not to completely lace up his undershirt over his neck. His throat was still too sensitive. Before heading out, he grabbed the small wooden pitcher Senku kept on his desk. There was still some water in it from the night before. He gulped it down, grateful for the momentary relief that came from the cool sensation traveling down his esophagus. Feeling confident, Gen made his way towards the food area hoping to get there without having to meet with anyone along the way. He wanted to save what little voice he had for his request for Francois.

* * *

It’s hard to stay silent when everyone knows you as the talkative type.

Gen tried his best to avoid speaking to anyone as he walked. It was early enough in the morning that not very many were out, but the few that were all seemed to have decided today was the day to greet him or ask him questions. He was polite enough to smile back and was quick to make gestures indicating he was in a hurry and couldn’t stay to chat. It worked well enough, with most assuming he was on some mission from Senku. A few times though, he was forced to eke out a quick reply, a simple yes or no and hoping against hope that that was enough before scurrying on his way. By the time Gen reached the food area, he was exhausted. His cheeks hurt from the forced smile he’d put upon himself to try and keep up appearances of normalcy and his mouth felt like it was coated in sandpaper. All he wanted to do now was get something warm to drink and retreat back to his hut.

The food area was a hive of activity. Francois had enlisted the help of several of the Ishigami villagers in addition to many of the revived people of the former Tsukasa Empire. Some had been given tasks of prepping vegetables and meat while others kept watch over bubbling pots and burning ovens. Francois was jumping between multiple tasks; issuing orders, testing food and shooing away would-be thieves trying to sneak bites before the dishes were ready. Gen knew better than to even attempt to interrupt them so he found himself a spot to sit, away from the chaos, to wait for a chance to put in his request.

As he watched the bustle of the workers, he found himself absently rubbing at his throat again. He really should've gotten more water first. The little he had drunk had only served to briefly moisten his palate and he felt himself missing the lozenges his manager used to keep around for him. Perhaps when this was all over, he could ask Senku about making some.

While lost in thought, he didn’t notice the small figure approach beside him.

“Good morning Gen!” chirped a small voice.

He jumped a little, suddenly broken from his thoughts and looked down to see Suika standing beside him, a basket of nuts and berries hanging from her arm. He smiled down at her without a word then returned his gaze to the prior scene. Suika placed her basket down and looked him over. She seemed to have picked up on his abnormal behavior.

“Is something wrong Gen?”

He looked at her again, smiling and shaking his head. She pursed her lips, looking a little upset.

“Why aren't you saying anything? Did something happen?" she gasped, "Are you mad? Did Suika do something wrong?!”

He shook his head again, adding in some waving hand gestures. But Suika still regarded him with concern on her face. She wasn't understanding. Gen swallowed, trying to ignore the pain as it went down. He just needed to get a couple words out. Tell her he’s fine. He could do that. He had to.

 _ **“I’m fine Suika-chan”**_ was what he’d meant to say. What he managed however…

“ _I’m ~iineee ‘uikaaa._ ” wheezed out from his lips, his voice cracking as he tried to push out the words.

Suika took a step back, “Gen? Are… are you sick?”

“ _No_ _o_ _oo_ _~_ ” The word came out in another wheeze, the end trailing into a small cough. He could feel his throat beginning to tighten again.

He tried to clear it. He could tell Suika was getting worried and that was the last thing he wanted. He was fine. Everything was fine! But how could he express that? If he kept trying to speak, it was just going to get worse. He shook his head, trying to figure out a way of properly communicating his current situation. He tried grasping at his throat then pointing at his mouth while shaking his head. As he sucked in a sharp breath, the cold air hit his throat, causing it to seize up and launching him into a violent coughing fit.

“Gen!”

He tried to stop himself but that only seemed to exasperate the situation. His eyes began to water as he turned himself away in an attempt to quiet his cough. He was becoming painfully aware that the people working nearby had stopped and were staring at him. His face felt hot and he couldn’t tell if that was from lack of oxygen or embarrassment. By that point, Francois came over to investigate.

“Gen-sama?”

“Francois there’s something wrong!” Suika shouted rushing over them, arms waving wildly. “I think… I think Gen’s sick!”

Gen waved his hands frantically and shook his head again. He had to make them understand. _Calm down._ He tried to tell himself. _Calm down! Try it slow!_ He managed to settle his coughing, opening his mouth to take in a deep gulp of air. He swallowed a few times, trying to ignore the pain and moisten his throat so his words could come out clear.

**“ _I’m_ _okay! I’m_ _fine!”_**

A strained “ _~ine_ _e_ _ee_ _ee_ ” was all that escaped followed by a rattling wheeze and groan.

Francois stared at him, their expression unreadable as they processed what just happened. They turned to Suika and very plainly said, “Go get Senku.”

Without missing a beat, Suika rushed off. Gen attempted to stop her but she was too fast. He turned to Francois and tried again. Trying to use gestures to mime his current situation; tapping his throat, shaking his head. He pushed his words out slowly, trying to enunciate as much as possible. But with each passing syllable, his voice faded farther and farther.

“ _Fr_ _an_ _~_ _I_ _’m ~i_ _ne_ _e_ _ee_ _. No~t s~_ _iii_ _i_ _ck_ _! Noo~ voiii~ssss..._ ”

Francois merely raised a hand, their expression still neutral. “Gen-sama. While I might not know exactly what is causing your current condition, I can at the very least tell that what you are doing is not helping it. I would recommend that you sit back down and wait until Senku-sama arrives.”

“ _But_ _\--_ ”

Gently yet with force, Francois pushed Gen back onto the rock he’d been seated on earlier. They then deftly removed their gloves, replacing them swiftly with a new pair produced from somewhere on their person. “Sit. At the very least, if you are indeed sick, I do not need you anywhere need our food”

Gen opened his mouth again to argue but quickly shut it, realizing there was no winning this. He merely slumped his shoulders and nodded his head in agreement. Francois left him, shouting orders for the people who had stopped working to continue what they were doing, lest something burn or boil over.

For lack of anything to do, Gen returned to people watching. All the while, rubbing at his throat, hoping to massage some use back into his vocal cords. He hoped he hadn’t scared Suika too much. She had sounded so panicked and worried, especially when he started coughing. It suddenly occurred to him that, until recently, getting sick in Ishigami was equivalent to a death sentence. So of course Suika would panic if she thought someone close to her had suddenly gotten ill. He hoped he would get a chance to explain everything properly. He hated to see someone fret over him so much.

It wasn’t long before he spotted Suika returning, followed closely behind by Senku and Chrome. Expressions of varying concern were plastered all over their faces as they approached him. Gen could only imagine what Suika must have told them. He tried to put on a pleasant face, to show them that he was fine. He’d been resting his voice all this time. Surely now he could get something out.

“Gen?” Senku panted slightly, a little out of breath from running after Suika. “What’s going on?”

 _Keep it simple. Easy. Short._ Taking in a deep breath, Gen attempted to explain.

**“ _I’m fine. Not sick. Lost my voice.”_**

Gen opened his mouth and a tiny squeak emerged. His eyes widened and he tried again.

A wheeze.

A raspy sound that could’ve been a part of a word.

Then nothing.

He buried his head in his hands in frustration. Ever his groans were inaudible by this point.

“Oh no" Suika exclaimed, "He’s gotten worse!”

Senku and Chrome exchanged glances before Senku approached Gen. “All right. Let me see.”

Gen blinked at him, not entirely sure what he was getting at.

“Let me see.” Senku repeated. “Aaah!” Then he gestured for Gen to open his mouth.

Gen scrunched up his face. He already knew what was wrong with himself. He didn’t need Senku to diagnose him. But at this point, Gen had no way of properly conveying that. Well, short of playing a game of charades but he was positive Senku would have no part in that. Finally succumbing to defeat, he went along, tilting his head back and opening his mouth as wide as he could. Senku leaned in close, gently touching the side of Gen’s face to position his head so he could see better. After a few moments, he moved his hand down along Gen’s throat, carefully he pressed against it. Gen flinched at the touch. Senku’s fingers were surprisingly cold against the warmth of his skin.

Once finally satisfied, Senku took a step back, his brow furrowed in thought.

“Well?” Chrome said. “Any ideas?”

“His throat’s completely inflamed.” Senku looked over at Suika and asked, “You said he’s gotten worse? How was he before?”

“Suika could kinda understand him before.” she admitted. “And yesterday he was fine.”

“Yesterday?”

“Yeah! Yesterday Gen played with us all afternoon! He sounded fine then.”

Senku looked back at Gen, mild annoyance flashing across his face, “So that’s where you were.”

Gen offered only a sheepish look in response. Senku didn’t seem concerned anymore. It seemed as though he'd started putting the pieces together. He planted his hands on his hips and asked bluntly, “Gen, do you know what’s wrong with you?”

 _Finally_ _!_ Gen thought with a silent sigh of relief. He nodded quickly. He gestured at his throat then made an “X” with this two of his fingers in front of his mouth and shook his head.

“Something with his throat?” Chrome tried to interpret. “And no talking?”

“My theory is he strained his vocal cords.” Senku said then smirked as Gen snapped his fingers and began nodding.

“So he’s not sick then?” Suika asked.

“No. If a person over uses their voice, like say excessive screaming or using it in ways they're not used to, it can put a strain on their vocal cords. When that happens, then they become unable to speak.”

"Oh no!" Suika gasped and rushed to Gen's side, “This is all our fault! Gen Suika’s so sorry! ”

Gen shook his head. He mouthed out words in an attempt to console her, hoping she’d understand them.

 _No no!_ _N_ _ot your fault_ _Suika-chan!_ _It’s not…_ He grimaced. It didn't look as though she was getting them. He looked up at Senku for help, desperation in his eyes.

Thankfully, Senku caught on. Patting Suika on the head he reassured her, “Suika, what Gen is… attempting… to say is that it’s not your fault.”

 _Thank you._ Gen mouthed.

“He’s just an idiot.”

Gen smacked him on the shoulder, throwing up his hands and mouthing the word _Rude!_

Annoyed, Senku retorted, “You ten billion percent are! Why didn’t you try writing what you need to say out?! I keep spare paper and charcoal back at the hut! You could’ve very easily written out what was wrong with you and showed it to any of the revived to avoid all of this!”

Gen blinked at him. He’d just been so focused on trying to get his voice back that something so simple just hadn't occurred to him.

“B-but…” Suika whispered, “his voice.”

“Will come back.” Senku assured. “So long as he rests it and stops trying to talk,” he shot Gen a sideways glare before continuing, “his voice should be back to normal in a couple of days.”

Suika let out a sigh and relief. “That’s good. Suika would’ve felt really bad if Gen couldn’t talk anymore.”

“Well on the plus side,” Senku smirked, “At least I can look forward to a few days of peace without having to listen to Gen’s complaining about the work I give him. Right?”

Gen frowned. _So mean Senku-chan!_


	2. The Sound of Silence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Senku finds out about Gen's newfound muteness and the aftermath that ensues

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Of course after writing the first chapter, I got a couple more little ideas of what could happen afterwards. I thought I’d write a small continuation with some additional perspective from Senku’s side.

Senku tried to suppress a yawn as he flipped through the latest blueprints he’d drawn up. Inspiration had struck him the day before and he’d spent the entire night planning and re-planning layouts for parts of the new ship’s interior. At some point during his explanation of the new designs, Gen had disappeared. It wasn’t the first time he’d “mysteriously” vanished in the midst of a project. Senku suspected Gen would make his grand reappearance once most of the more complicated work was over. In the end, he had been left to rely on Chrome for assistance. That wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Chrome certainly wasn’t useless, often finding solutions for problems Senku had overlooked or overthought. But the new sciencer was sometimes a little _too_ curious about modern inventions. Several times Senku had to stop his planning to answer Chrome’s questions or explain various concepts and theories. As much as he enjoyed sharing his knowledge with someone so eager, it could get a little draining after a while.

He wished Gen had still been there. At least he would’ve just went along with whatever simple instructions Senku had given him. Granted Gen would’ve complained about not understanding any of it or he would have rambled on and on with some pointless chatter, but at least Senku wouldn’t have been expected to constantly respond him. Gen was good with that. He could talk enough for two people. Senku wasn’t needed to take part in the conversation.

“Maybe you should go take a nap.” Chrome suggested, gathering up the few depleted stubs of charcoal left scattered around the worktable. “We can bring these plans over to Kaseki and the build crew tomorrow. ”

Senku stretched. He thought about declining the suggestion. There was still so much other work that needed to be done, especially before winter set in. But even he was beginning to struggle with keeping his eyes open. He let the yawn finally escape. “Ya know, that actually might not be a bad idea.”

As the two exited the lab, they heard shouting in the distance. Turning to the source, they spotted Suika running towards them at top speed. She skidded to a halt, her momentum sending her crashing to the ground. They rushed to help her but before they could ask what was wrong, she began speaking frantically.

“S-Senku! Senku you gotta… you gotta come quick! It’s… it’s…! ”

“Easy Suika!” Senku placed his hands on her shoulders, hoping to calm her. She looked really riled up. “Just calm down and breath for a sec okay?”

She took a few shuddering breaths, trying to settle down enough to speak clearly. After a few moments, she blurted out, “It’s Gen! There’s something wrong with him!”

“ Wrong ?” Senku raised a brow.

“H-he was being really quiet and… and not talking and Suika thought maybe he was mad but then when he **did** start talking it was all… all weird and croaky! A-and then he started coughing really bad!” Tears began streaming from beneath her mask and Senku could feel her beginning to tremble. “Really really bad! He’s sick! You’ve gotta help him!”

It took a few moments for Senku to fully process Suika’s frantic speech.

Gen was sick? Was that why he’d disappeared the day before? He didn’t seem like someone who would keep an illness to himself but Suika wasn’t the type of child to over exaggerate something. Especially not something as serious as a person’s illness. If she saw Gen acting strange, she wouldn’t lie about it. Senku tried to think of Gen’s behavior from the last few days, to try and identify anything that had been out of the ordinary, but suddenly found he couldn’t recall any specifics. Had Gen been sick, showing signs of weakness or illness and Senku just hadn’t noticed because he’d been too wrapped up in work?

Quiet then croaky sounding with a bad cough? That sounded like the start of a sore throat which, in and of itself, could be a symptom of any number of other illnesses. And given the current season, it would be the right time for such illnesses to start appearing. They had the cure-all but, how much did they have left. They hadn’t made any recently. Would there be enough time to make more? What if it wasn’t pneumonia? Could what he have even be countered with the cure-all? How long had he been sick? Why hadn’t he said anything? Why hadn’t Senku noticed sooner? Why hadn’t he just gone back to their hut last night? He might’ve been able to prevent this! If he’d just…

“Senku?” Chrome’s voice snapped him back to the present. “ Senku! We gotta go check on him! ”

“Right.” Senku nodded and straightened up. “Right! Suika, take us to him.”

They spotted Gen right away seated on a rock outside the food area. He looked… fine. From Suika’s outburst, Senku had been expecting to find him doubled over on the ground convulsing. Strange. When they got closer, Gen flashed an almost apologetic smile, as though he were sorry for bothering them. Senku was beginning to have doubts about just how “sick” Gen actually was. Was this all a con? Had Gen wrangled Suika into making him look sick to give him an excuse from work and she’d just gone overboard with her performance?

“Gen?” Senku said, a little breathless from running and mild panic. “What’s going on?”

Gen took a deep breath, looking as though he were preparing himself before speaking. But when he opened his mouth only a faint squeak emerged. For a moment Senku thought it was part of the act, but the surprise on Gen’s face told him otherwise. Gen tried to speak once more but the results were the same; only able to produce faint sounds before going completely silent. With visible frustration, Gen buried his face in his hands.

“Oh no!” Suika exclaimed. “He’s gotten worse!”

Worse? Senku glanced over at Chrome, hoping the other had some idea of what might’ve been affecting Gen. Perhaps this was some kind of new Stone World illness Senku hadn’t yet encountered. Chrome looked just as unsure, offering only a tiny shrug in response. Senku sighed. He needed to get to the bottom of this. When he ordered Gen to let him see, the mentalist looked confused then mildly annoyed. Did that mean he really was faking it? Was he upset he’d gotten caught? Surely he must’ve known Senku would’ve wanted to diagnose him if he learned he was sick. But then, why had Gen looked so genuinely shocked when his voice failed him? Senku needed more information.

There was a slight wheeze to Gen’s breath as he opened his mouth. It didn’t sound as though it were an issue with his lungs. Rather, it was that his throat had become constricted. Upon closer inspection, Senku could see that Gen’s esophagus was red and irritated. He ran his hand down Gen’s throat, applying slight pressure as he did so. Gen flinched at his touch and Senku took mental note of the action before continuing his evaluation. There was tightness to his muscles, some mild swelling and a slight warmth to his skin. A fever perhaps? But his complexion looked normal so that may have just been from sitting in the sun for so long. Senku cycled through every possible illness he could think of, comparing Gen’s symptoms with each to try and determine what could possibly be wrong with him.

“Well?” Chrome said. “Any ideas?”

“His throat’s completely inflamed.” Senku muttered then remembered Suika’s earlier comment after Gen had tried to speak. “You said he’s worse? How was he before?”

“Suika could kind a understand him before.” she admitted. “And yesterday he was fine.”

“Yesterday?” Gen had been with Suika yesterday?

“Yeah. Yesterday Gen played with us all afternoon! He sounded fine then.”

Senku shot an annoyed look at Gen. “So that’s where you were.”

A theory began forming.

Out all afternoon with a bunch of rambunctious children. Probably spending an extended period of time speaking or shouting or both. A voice that was fine the day prior that had gotten weak then vanished all together after attempted use. A dry cough and an irritated, sensitive throat. Gen himself didn’t seem the least bit worried over his condition, only frustrated at being unable to communicate. So he was aware of what had happened to him but was unable to tell anyone what exactly that was. Something mildly inconvenient but not life threatening.

“Gen,” Senku finally said, needing just a little more confirmation for his theory, “do you know what’s wrong with you?”

Relief washed over Gen’s face as he began nodding quickly before making gestures. He pointed at his throat then crossed fingers in front of his mouth and shook his head. Senku would’ve laughed at the display if he wasn’t so utterly frustrated with him. As Chrome attempted to decipher Gen’s ridiculous pantomime, Senku let out an other sigh.

“My theory,” he explained, “is that he strained his vocal cords.”

Gen’s face lit up and he snapped his fingers. It looked as though Senku’s theory was correct.

“So he’s not sick then?” Suika asked.

“No. If a person over uses their voice,” Senku said, “like say excessive screaming or using it in ways they're not used to, it can put a strain on their vocal cords. When that happens, then they can become unable to speak.”

Suika gasped at the revelation and began frantically apologizing to Gen, claiming fault for his ailment. Gen looked panicked as he began shaking his head and trying to mouth out words. It looked as though he was trying to console her, explain she wasn’t at fault. When it became apparent that she wasn’t understanding him, he looked up at Senku with desperation. Senku considered let Gen flounder a bit longer. It would serve him right for making everyone worry so much, but he didn’t like seeing Suika upset anymore than Gen did.

Patting her on the head, Senku reassured, “Suika, what Gen is… attempting… to say is that it’s not your fault. He’s just an idiot.”

When Gen smacked him, Senku retaliated. “You ten billion percent are!” By now he was absolutely positive Gen was fine so he had no problem with giving him a piece of his mind. “Why didn’t you just write out what was wrong with you? I keep spare paper and charcoal in the hut! You could’ve used that!”

The dumbfounded look on Gen’s face made it apparent he hadn’t even thought of such a simple solution. That made Senku wonder though, what exactly Gen’s plan had been in the first place.

With Suika finally satisfied that Gen was going to be okay, it was time to actually deal with his newfound silence. Senku was already running through a list in his head of possible treatments to combat Gen’s ailment given their current tech.

“Ya know, there’s a tea I used to make for Ruri when her cough was bothering her.” Chrome offered. “Think that might help you Gen?”

“Might be why he came here in the first place.” Senku said. He knew Gen had a collection of different plants and herbs back at their hut. Perhaps his reason for coming here had been to get some ingredient he lacked there. There were certainly a multitude of herbal remedies Senku could think of that might help in this situation.

Gen nodded and produced a rather large piece of ginger root from within his sleeve. He mimed out an action of grating it then acted as though he were drinking something from a cup. He paused, as though trying to figure out how to explain further. An idea struck him as he next produced a flower. He pointed at it then made little waving motions with his fingers, like something was flying in and out of it.

Senku tried not to laugh as Chrome and Suika watched intently, trying their best to figure out the meaning of Gen’s movements.

“A root?” Suika guessed.

“I think I’ve used that kind before.” Chrome said. “You’re… cutting it up?”

“Then… drinking it?”

“Oh! You’re making tea!”

“A flower? You put flowers in it!”

“No that doesn’t make sense. A part of the flower? The petals.”

“Something in the flower? That’s floating away?”

“Pollen!” Chrome shouted confidently, “It’s pollen! Wait pollen in tea? Why would you put pollen in tea?”

Gen made a face, looking mildly frustrated. He repeated the last gesture, this time adding a jabbing motion along with his fingers and attempting to make a humming noise. Chrome looked even more confused.

“Flower. Stabbing? No. No I’m still lost.”

“Bee.” Senku said, having grown tired of the whole charade, “He’s trying to describe a bee. I think he wants honey.”

“Oooooh. Oh yeah that makes way more sense.”

Senku dug around in one of the pouches on his belt and produced a piece of charcoal and a scrap of parchment. It was something he tried to keep in case an idea struck him while he was away from the lab. He offered them to Gen.

“For everyone’s sanity Mentalist. Will you just write it down?”

* * *

Senku quickly discovered a few flaws in his Have-Gen-Write-Everything-Down plan.

For one, the parchment he’d given him was far too small. Gen had filled it rather quickly with requests of various ingredients for different throat remedies he wanted to try. Then there was the charcoal itself. The stick was rather fat and cumbersome to write with for those not used to it, smudging constantly as he tried to write out his instructions. But the worst… was Gen’s penmanship. It was, to say the least, atrocious. His words were scrawled together tightly, sometimes blending together and he seemed to have a habit of leaving out letters in some form of shorthand known only to him. That, mixed with use of the smudging charcoal, made his tiny note almost impossible to read. Senku felt he would’ve had an easier time trying to decipher hieroglyphics.

It was abundantly clear they needed a better method for his writing. Suika suggested the slates and chalk Ukyo had been using to teach reading and writing to the Ishigami villagers. While smudging was still bound to happen with chalk, at least the writing surface would be larger and easier to clear. The idea was deemed satisfactory and everyone split up. Chrome headed back to the lab to grab the work plans to deliver to the shipyard while Senku charged Suika with the job of getting the ingredients he’d been able to decipher from Gen’s note. She was all to eager to help and rushed off as soon as she had a new readable list. With that all settled, Senku and Gen headed to the school yard to meet up with Ukyo.

It was late morning by now and the whole of the Kingdom of Science was a buzz with activity. Between ship construction and prepping for the upcoming winter, there was no shortage of work to be done around the kingdom. Every so often, someone stopped Senku to ask for guidance on a particular project or a specific task. Such was the fate of the Village Chief and while he did his best to answer, he began to pick up on a strange attitude directed towards Gen.

It was subtle at first; a few Ishigami villagers trying to avoid going near the mentalist, opting to instead approach from Senku’s side. As they passed by others, Senku caught glaces directed at Gen that were quickly turned away and followed by whispers. Those that actually did acknowledge Gen were cautious to do so, giving him only a minor greeting while keeping as much distance from him as possible. Such behavior was seen even among some of the revived; people were going out of their way to avoid going near Gen and giving him wary looks.

Gen hadn’t made any indication that he was affected by this behavior. So either he chose to ignore it or he simply didn’t care. For the time being, Senku decided to leave it be and continue on with their quest. If it wasn’t bothering Gen, he wouldn’t let it bother him.

By the time they arrived at the school yard Ukyo was by himself, cleaning up from the morning’s lecture. Senku called out to him.

“Hey Ukyo! You got a sec?”

The young man looked up, offering a bright smile in response. “Morning Senku! What’s up?”

“Gen needs to borrow one of the slates and a piece a chalk.” He looked over at Gen then corrected himself. “Actually, make that a couple pieces. He’s probably going to go through them pretty fast.”

“Ah.” Ukyo chuckled as he walked over to them, “Does this have anything to do with him being cursed?”

Senku and Gen blinked at him.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“Some of the kids were talking about it this morning.” Ukyo explained. “Something about him being an evil sorcerer yesterday? They said he was stealing voices. Then someone mentioned something about Gen sounding strange and having some kind of coughing fit over by Francois’. So they all decided that that meant Gen probably angered a forest spirit so it must have taken his voice away as a punishment.” He smiled and offered the slate and chalk to Gen, “Or something like that. The stories kept getting crossed.”

Senku raised a brow. “Stealing… voices?”

Gen looked a little sheepish as he gratefully took the slate and chalk. Quickly he scribbled a response.

_**P**_ _ **layd gam**_ _ **e** _ _**~ Mimi**_ _ **c**_ _ **d** _ _**ppl** _ _**~** _ _**Lots** _ _**of ppl** _ _**~** _

Even with the larger writing surface, it was still a little difficult making out Gen’s writing. His shorthand was just horrible.

“You were… imitating people.” Senku managed to interpret.

Gen nodded then cleared his message to write a new one.

_**Pushd** _ _**voice** _ _**too** _ _**f**_ _ **a**_ _ **r** _ _**~** _ _**N**_ _ **o brk**_ _ **s** _ _**~** _ _**Havnt done** _ _**that** _ _**in** _ _**a**_ _ **w**_ _ **h**_ _ **il**_ _ **e~** _

“I did try to tell the kids it wasn’t a curse and that you probably were just getting sick.” Ukyo said, rubbing at the back of his neck, “Though, they didn’t seem too happy about that idea either.”

Gen looked distressed, hanging his head and lightly slapping his forehead with the slate.

“Was… that not the right thing to say?”

Senku sighed, pinching at the bridge of his nose. “Illness is a delicate subject with the villagers. But that certainly explains some of their behavior this morn--” A sudden yawn caught Senku off guard and he quickly moved his hand to cover his mouth. The adrenaline from before was finally wearing off and his exhaustion was catching up to him. More than ever he regretted not going back to his hut the previous night.

Gen tilted his head at him, making a motion with his hands to indicate sleep.

“Yeah yeah.” Senku waved him off, stifling another yawn. “I _was_ going to take a nap if a certain _someone_ hadn’t caused a scene this morning.”

Gen frowned, rolling his eyes dramatically and throwing his hands into the air.

“Like that.” Before Gen could act any further, Senku continued. “You’ve got your communication all sorted out now right? So why don’t you make yourself useful and help out with winter prep. I’m sure you can find plenty of work to do that doesn’t require speaking.”

“Actually,” Ukyo said quickly, “I could use some help with a new batch of paper. Would go a lot faster with a second set of hands.”

“Perfect.” Senku turned and began heading back, “Maybe while you’re at it, you can give Gen some penmanship lessons. He could certainly do with a refresher!”

* * *

Well… the morning certainly could’ve gone better as far as Gen was concerned.

It had been bad enough being rendered practically mute and having to play charades to get his point across but to be bullied for his handwriting? He couldn’t help it! Gen was known to be quick with his words so logically his notes needed to be the same! Thus he had to limit himself to short, broken sentences and abbreviated words if he ever wanted to get what he wanted out fast enough. Sure if he took his time it’d look fine, but who would be patient enough to wait while he did that? Still, it was nice to finally have a means of communication. He just hoped he wouldn’t have to use it for very long.

First and foremost, Gen had to do something about the rumors that were spreading. Word traveled fast in the Stone World. Without much else, gossip was the go to for entertainment. It should’ve been no surprise to learn that so many had already heard of Gen’s current ailment in such a short amount of time. Though like with any rumor, the details had become a little… muddled. He had had a feeling something was off when he noticed some people avoiding him like the plague while he was with Senku. At first he’d assumed it was from his coughing fit at Francois’. That they, like Suika, assumed he was ill and were trying to avoid becoming infected. He couldn’t exactly blame them for thinking that. But to think him to be cursed? Seriously?! That was ridiculous! Besides, he was the one with the reputation as a magician! If there were curses going around, **he** would be the one casting them not getting caught in them and--

 _Stop!_ He thought to himself firmly. _Stop it._ _Th_ _ey_ _don’t know any better._

Even with all the modern and scientific advancements Senku had been making for the village, these were a people with a simpler culture. They had only just started being introduced to new ideas and concepts. Of course there would still be superstitious people among the populous. There were people like that even among the modern day folk. Gen himself, for all his tricks and falsehoods, still believed in the some of the otherworldly and supernatural. He believed in things like luck and karma. That despite what Senku would say, there really were some things that science just couldn’t explain. Of course, Gen would never say that to his face, lest he get a lecture for hours on end about how wrong he was.

Instead, Gen tried to focus on the task at hand. Ukyo had set about mixing up batches of the paper solution. Once complete, he passed them along to Gen so he could press and lay them out to dry in the sun. It was boring, monotonous work but it was a cake walk in comparison to some of the other labor he’d been made to do recently. There were certainly worse jobs he could’ve been doing. Apart from some minor small talk and simple yes or no questions, the two worked in relative silence. Ukyo was never really was one for starting conversations Gen realized but then again, any kind of extended conversation would’ve been too difficult to keep going given his current condition. Gen didn’t particularly mind the quiet though. It gave him time to think, organize his thoughts. If nothing else, he could use the time to come up with a plan to deal with those rumors spreading around.

  
  


A few hours and several batches of paper later and Gen was no closer to figuring out a solution to his rumor problem. On top of that, the growing rumbling in his stomach was becoming increasing harder to ignore. It occurred to him that in all the chaos that morning, he’d never gotten anything proper to eat. Only that small drink of water back at his hut after he first woke up. He glanced over at Ukyo who was in the midst of bundling together the newest dried sheets of paper. Gen quickly grabbed his slate, jotting something down before snapping his fingers to get Ukyo’s attention. He held up it up, displaying the word _**Food~?** _.

Ukyo smiled at him. “Sure. I was wondering when you’d say something. Your stomach’s been growling for like an hour.”

Gen frowned. Of course he’d noticed his stomach noises. He shouldn’t have expected anything less from those sonar ears. Letting out a little huff through his nose, Gen gestured for Ukyo to lead the way.

“I still find it a little hard to believe _you_ of all people lost your voice.” Ukyo said as they walked. “I mean, I’ve heard of voice actors and singers that wrecked their voices but I thought that was only after a long time of use. I didn’t think it was possible after just one day.”

Gen merely shrugged in response. Even he was surprised at how bad it had gotten. Thinking back, there were only a few times he could recall when his voice had become so rough. Usually it had been after some particularly intense performance or an interview that had gone on just a little too long. But it had never rendered him to the point of muteness. Even the vigorous training he did with Nikki to perfect his Lillian impression hadn’t left his voice in such a state. This was certainly a new experience.

Perhaps, he thought, it had just been a series of compounding factors that had caused it. He’d pushed his voice much farther than he’d ever before. Went through vocal ranges his voice was not meant for. He spoke for hours on end with absolutely no breaks or rests in-between shifting voices. And when he should’ve just rested it the next day, he’d instead forced it in an attempt to explain himself to everyone. Senku was right. He was an idiot. Maybe if he had just done as Senku had suggested in the first place, his voice wouldn’t have gotten to that point.

“So how bad is it?” Ukyo asked. “Can you make any sound at all?”

Gen considered. He hadn’t made any further attempts at speaking since Senku had checked on him. It’d been several hours by now. His throat no longer felt as sore as when he first woke up and swallowing no longer caused him to flinch in pain. Overall, that was a good sign. That meant he was healing. So, a little test wouldn’t hurt.

He took a deep breath and opened his mouth, gently pushing out whatever sound he could muster.

“ _~~~~aa~aaaah~~~~~~_ ”

Strained, still hoarse and just barely audible.

Beside him, Ukyo grimaced. “I… didn’t think a human being could make sounds like that. No wonder people think you’re cursed.”

Gen gave him a dejected look but internally, he was a little happy. He was at least audible again. If this continued, perhaps he’d actually be able to whisper by tomorrow night.

It wasn’t long before the two reached the communal eating area. It wasn’t nearly as busy as it had been that morning when Gen first was there. By now most of the food prep had been completed so those that remained were merely eating and relaxing before heading out to other parts of the Kingdom for work. There was a pleasant chatter all around them that quickly died down as Gen walked past. He could practically feel the stares. He tried to not let it bother him, putting on a pleasant face and waving slightly to show he was in good health and spirits. But he was met with only quickly turning heads and hushed whispers.

“Want me to say something?” Ukyo asked him, glancing over at some of the nearby gossipers.

Gen sighed and shook his head. At this point it was probably best to just let the rumor run its course. He could do some actual damage control once his voice had returned. For now, all he wanted was some food.

“Gen!” A familiar voice called out to him. He looked around before spotting Suika dashing in his direction. She managed to stop just shy of crashing into his legs. Though a little breathless, that didn’t stop her from launching into a barrage of questions.

“How are you feeling? Is your throat okay? Did your cough go away? Is your voice any better? Can you talk yet?!” She bounced in place with each question, her voice hopeful and eager.

Gen held up his hands, trying to signal Suika to slow down. He glanced over at Ukyo, giving him a look for assistance. Gen didn’t particularly feel like playing charades again.

“He’s doing better Suika.” Ukyo said for him. “But he still doesn’t have his voice back.”

“Oh.” Suika looked a little disappointed but quickly perked back up again as she remembered something. From underneath her poncho, she produced a small package. She offered it eagerly to Gen. “Ah here Gen! Suika got all the things on your list from Francois!”

The package had been carefully wrapped in a pelt and tied neatly with a thin cord. A strong sweet and herbal smell emanated from it. Gen graciously took it and peaked inside. There were a few bundles of tied up herbs, two small sealed clay pots and tiny carved wooden spoon.

“There’s peppermint, sage, some honey and lemon juice! Francois also said, um--” Suika paused, trying to properly recall the exact message she’d been given. “They said they deeply… apologize for um… failing to… to recognize… your ailment? And that … next time they will um… They will be… better… prepared for it!”

Meekly she added, “Suika hopes there isn’t a next time. Sorry again.”

Gen pursed his lips. Well this wouldn’t do at all. He didn’t like seeing Suika so sad and he certainly couldn’t have her still feeling guilty for him. While he might currently lack the voice the console her, he had other methods to put a smile back on her face.

Kneeling down so that he was eye level with her, Gen gave his most sincere smile and waggled a finger in front of his face. With quick movements, he tucked the package into his sleeve and retrieved some loose flowers. Carefully hiding them between his fingers, he made a motion as though he was lifting her chin before flipping his wrist around and making a tiny bouquet appear before her eyes.

Suika gasped in delight as she carefully took the flowers from him. She giggled. “Aw thank you Gen! Are you hungry? Let’s eat together! Suika has so much to tell you!”

She tugged on his sleeve, leading him towards an empty spot at nearby table. Gen allowed himself to be pulled along, settling onto a stool and looking forward to finally getting something in his rumbling stomach.

As they ate, Suika spoke excitably, gushing all about her day to Gen and Ukyo. She was so happy to be able to help out around the kingdom. There was always something for her to do and she was learning so many new things too! Just the other day Yuzuriha had showed her a new way of stitching cloth and it was so interesting watching her work. Her hands moved so quickly and Suika could barely keep up but Yuzuriha promised her if she kept practicing she could get just as fast. It felt strange, Gen thought as he listened to Suika bounce from topic to topic, to be the quiet one in the conversation. Was this how Senku felt when he rambled on around him? Gen had to admit, it was kind of relaxing. It almost made him forget all about his troubles.

Almost.

“Hey Asagiri!” shouted a snide voice.

Gen looked up, spotting Yo walking towards him. Trailing behind him was Magma. Despite butting heads in the beginning, the two were slowly becoming friends. No. Friends wasn’t quite the right word for their relationship. Power hungry punks? Mutual maniacs? Egotistical idiots? Yes. Those sounded better.

Yo strode up confidently, taking a seat directly across from Gen.

“So,” he said, planting his elbow on the table and his chin in his palm, “what’s this I hear about you taking on a Vow of Silence?”

Gen narrowed his eyes. Had the rumors really gotten that muddled up or was Yo just trying to get a rise out of him? Given who it was, it was most likely the latter. Gen took a deep breath through his nose. He thought about writing out a response but opted against it. Chances were good Yo wouldn’t even bother to read it if he did. Letting out his breath, he merely rolled his eyes and shook his head. A patient, forced smile on his face.

“Hey be nice!” Suika piped up. “Gen lost his voice so he can’t talk!”

“Oh yeah sure he ‘lost his voice’.” Yo chuckled, emphasizing his statement with a motion of air quotes, a gesture lost on those around him. Beside him, Magma frowned.

“I told you. He got cursed.” he said plainly, giving Gen a wary look. “It’s what happens when you mess around with sorcery.”

Yo snorted, failing miserably to suppress his laugh. “A curse? Seriously?! You really believe… This is Gen we're talking about! He’s obviously faking to get some sympathy and get outta work! He’s a conman. It’s what he does!” He leaned back on the table again, smugly raising a brow, “Come on Gen. You can be honest me. You’re just doing this for the attention, aren’tcha.”

Gen stared. Gears began turning in his head. A plan was forming. A terrible, wonderful plan.

_Attention huh? You want attention Yo? I’ll give you attention._

Gen rolled his head, as though he were considering Yo’s statement. He tucked his hands into his sleeves and gave Yo a look that begged for him to come closer. Yo looked skeptical but leaned in anyway. Gen drew his covered hands closer to his face, eyes beckoning for Yo to come just a _little_ closer. He did so, practically draping himself across the table, his face uncomfortably close in Gen’s personal bubble. Withdrawing a hand, Gen cupped it beside his mouth.

As Yo leaned in, Gen’s other hand quickly turned over, revealing a small pile of white powder he'd been so carefully scratching off the chalk hidden in his sleeve. He released a strong puff of air, blowing the dust right into Yo’s face before he could fully comprehend what was happening. Yo launched himself backwards as the dust hit him, tumbling from his stool and landing on the ground with a loud thud. He began coughing loudly, trying desperately to clear the dust from his nose and throat.

“W-what—” he choked, swiping at his face, “What the hell was th-at?!”

Gen sat back, resisting the urge to smile. Just one more touch. He glanced over at Ukyo. Would he…? Only one way to be sure.

Gen feigned a look of concern, mouth gaping open and eyes going sad. He leaned close to Ukyo, cupping his hand once more and pretended to whisper into his ear. Ukyo looked confused for all but a second before quickly catching on.

“Oh.” he said. “Are you sure?”

Gen smiled then nodded solemnly.

“What?!” Yo shouted, coughs and hiccups still catching in his words, “W-what did he say? W-what was th-at?!”

“Well…” Ukyo paused. His gaze shifted between Yo and Gen, a thin frown forming on his face. “It looks like… the curse has jumped to you now.”

“Huh?! T-that’s not…” Yo sputtered. “H-he can’t…” He glared at Gen. “He **IS** f-faking it! Y-you said he couldn’t ta-alk!"

“ _T_ _echnically_ he can,” Ukyo admitted with a casual shrug. “But it’s just so quiet I’m pretty much the only one that can actually hear it. You remember how good my hearing is, don’t you Yo?”

“See?” Magma said taking a few steps back, trying to distance himself. “I told you no good came from messing with sorcery. Now you’re cursed too!”

“It’s not a curs--!” Yo screamed but was cut off with another series of coughs. All his shouting and flustered breathing certainly wasn’t helping his already compromised throat.

“Yeah? Then why ya coughin’ so much? That’s what he did and now he’s got no voice!”

Around them, people were starting to stare. Hushed whispers were spreading rapidly. Gen sighed dramatically then “spoke” once more to Ukyo who then nodded, looking serious.

“Ah yes. I see.”

Yo coughed a few more times, watering eyes darting between Ukyo and Gen. “W-what? What did he say n-now?!”

“He said he’s sorry that you’ve become cursed but he thinks there may be a way to cure yourself. You’ll just have to…” Ukyo trailed off, glancing back at Gen for a cue.

Gen thought for a moment then clasped his hands together, as though he were praying, slowly nodding his head.

“Right. You’ll need to purify yourself.”

“You’re m-making this up!”

“No really!” Ukyo insisted. “Gen knows all about these kinds of things. It’s the only way!”

Gen tapped Ukyo on the shoulder, offering him one of the herb bundles from his care package. He made a quick glance to Magma, indicating him as the next target.

Ukyo took it and held it out. “Magma here. This should protect you from the curse. Yo’s gotta get purified or the whole kingdom’s gonna go silent.”

Magma hesitated. “That weed’s gonna protect me from the curse?”

“Absolutely.”

He considered, primitive gears turning in his head. “And how exactly do you… purify someone?”

“Don’t believe them!” Yo shrieked, clamoring to his feet. “I’m not--” His words interrupted once more by a series of hacks and coughs.

“Back in our day, soaking something in water was a good way to purify it. There’s hot springs around so you could probably use those. Let him soak for two--”

Gen tapped Ukyo on the shoulder, holding up three, wiggling fingers and winking slightly.

“Ah _three_ hours.” He then quickly added, “Or at least until he starts turning red. Whichever comes first.”

“Hot springs.” Magma grunted. “Three hours. Red.” He snatched the bundle from Ukyo’s hand, “All right.” Stuffing the herb into his tunic, he promptly hoisted Yo up by his belt and began dragging him away.

Yo protested the entire time, trying in vain to pry himself from the larger man’s grasp. All the while hacking and coughing and causing a scene much greater than the one Gen had caused that morning. Onlookers stared and gradually chatter returned as people began to discuss the latest excitement. Gen sat back down, a smug grin spreading across his face.

That went even better than he had hoped.

Why hadn’t he thought of that sooner? Of course the best way to _stop_ an unwanted rumor was to get a _better_ one to spread in its place.

Sure Senku would probably be upset to find out Gen was reinforcing the villagers’ superstitions but was that _really_ what was happening? The gossip Gen could already hear spoke of Yo “catching” his cough. So in a way, Gen could argue Yo was just getting sick. And what better way to combat sickness than to take a nice, hot, LONG bath? And wasn’t it just so nice that Magma was helping him with that?

“So how was I?” Ukyo asked, a slight chuckle behind his voice.

 _A brilliant performance._ Gen thought as he lightly clapped his hands together in approval. _I’m so proud._

* * *

Using Ukyo as a “translator” Gen was able to do a little more damage control. He reassured those that asked that he was indeed fine and that it was safe to be around him again. That no, no one else was in danger of becoming cursed. That only happened to Yo because he was being disrespectful to the curse. And no, Gen also did not have some weird disease nor was he contagious. His voice was just temporarily gone but it would be back after he rested it.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully and by sundown, Gen was more than ready for bed. As he headed back to his hut, he realized he hadn’t seen Senku around. He wondered briefly if he had actually kept his word and gotten some sleep or if he’d lied and just gone back to work. It wouldn’t be the first time the scientist chose work over self-care. Gen decided to take a small detour by the lab, just in case.

He was pleased to see the lab was dark when he approached. Peaking inside, he saw no signs of Senku having been there recently. Good, Gen thought. He actually listened for once.

Arriving back at his hut though, revealed a different story.

There was Senku, slouched over his desk, scrawling away at several different pieces of parchment with more scattered on the floor around him. Unsurprisingly, his bed was still untouched. Gen sucked in a sharp breath in annoyance. He would’ve loved nothing more than to shout at him for neglecting sleep again but that lecture would have to wait for another day. He strode up behind Senku, peering over his shoulder to see just what exactly was so important for him to forgo sleep. He was surprised Senku could even see what he was writing, being only illuminated by a single oil lamp on edge of the desk. The parchments were covered in numbers and formulas that just glancing at made Gen’s head go all spinney. The scientist was completely engrossed in his writing, unaware of the other’s presence.

Carefully, Gen moved around to the side. He waited until he saw Senku’s charcoal slow down before slamming his hand onto the desk. Gen may have wanted his attention but he wasn’t about to make him ruin his work.

Senku jumped at the noise. “Wha--?!" He turned. "Oh. You’re back.”

Even in the dim light, Gen could make out the dark bags under Senku’s eyes. He frowned deeply, eyes narrow and arms crossed.

“What? What’s that look for?”

Gen jerked his head to the side and pointed at the untouched bed then gestured broadly, as if to say “ _What happened to sleeping?”_

Senku stared at him, his brain slowly deciphering Gen’s movements. Another sign the exhaustion was getting to him. “Ah. Right.”

He fumbled with the parchments, attempting to organize them. “I was… going to sleep. But as soon as I got here, I got my second wind. Figured I’d put it to good use and get some more work done. There’s still some calculations I need to go over for figuring out the correct weight distribution of--”

That was it. Gen would hear no more of it. Snatching the back of Senku’s collar, he attempted to drag him out of his seat and towards the bed. This boy was going to sleep, whether he liked it or not.

“The hell?!” Senku twisted around, grabbing at Gen’s hands to pry them loose. “Knock it off!”

Gen released him and gestured wildly once more at the bed.

“You want me to sleep now?”

A nod.

“No.” Senku replied bluntly.

Gen gaped at him, eyes going wide. Was he being serious right now?

“If I go to sleep now, it’ll throw off my sleep cycle for the next day.” Senku explained. “I need to wait at least another…” He held up a hand, fingers twitching in silent calculation, “Another hour and forty-seven minutes. I’ll sleep then.”

Gen couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He knew Senku was stubborn but he hadn’t realized just how much so.

“If you wanna sleep go right ahead.” Senku said, turning back to his calculations. “I won’t stop you.”

 _A child._ Gen thought. _I’m sharing a room with a literal child._ He sighed loudly, tilting his head backwards before throwing his hands in the air in defeat. It was pointless to keep arguing. If Senku was going to insist on forcing himself despite being so obviously tired, Gen wasn’t going to stop him. If nothing else, he’d at least make sure he stayed awake long enough to help Senku when his inevitable crash came.

He retrieved his care package from his sleeve and laid out the contents for inspection. He’d given away one of the bundles of sage but there was still plenty of peppermint left. He glanced back at Senku’s hunched form.

Perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to make two cups.

  
  


While Senku didn’t drink the tea Gen offered to him, he still accepted it. Gen settled himself on his bed, sitting cross-legged and holding the steaming cup under his face. He breathed in deep the crisp aroma, letting in linger in his nose before taking a long sip. There was a mild bitterness to it. He probably should’ve steeped the leaves longer, but he could already feel the effect it had on his throat. Any remaining tightness melted away as the warm drink passed down his throat. Gen closed his eyes, allowing himself to relax. He could hear the faint sounds of the wind through the trees and the occasional rustle of the parchment as Senku worked.

He basked in the quiet until he heard a light clatter on the desk followed by Senku sighing loudly.

“This is too weird.” Senku mumbled.

Gen opened his eyes to see Senku turned in his seat to face him, his expression mixed. He titled his head to the side in question.

“It’s too quiet.” Senku admitted. “I feel like we’re having a fight.”

Gen frowned at him. He wanted to point out that, in a way, they _were_ but decided against it.

“How’s your throat? I… should’ve asked you that sooner.”

Very quietly, Gen responded. “ _better… ~_ ”

“Doesn’t sound better.” Senku said, though his voice sounded relieved. “But it’s more than I’ve heard you say all day so that’s good.” He stood, cracking his back as he did so. “You’ll probably be fine by tomorrow. I’ll check it out again in the morning. When we’ve got better light.”

His voice was quiet and slow, something Gen knew as a sign that Senku was finally giving in to his exhaustion. He smiled a little, setting aside his tea cup. Scooting over, he patted at the bed beside him. Senku stared at it blankly, eyes slowly drifting over to Gen.

“Fine. You win.” he relented, extinguishing the oil lamp and casting the room in darkness.

There was a rustle as he climbed into bed. Gen settled down himself. As he began to drift off he heard Senku whisper.

“Don’t… make me worry like that again, okay? If… there’s something wrong… come find me.”

In the dark, Gen reached out. He patted around until he found Senku’s hand and gave it a little squeeze.

“ _good night… senku-chan… ~_ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I worked on this off and on over the last month. I kept getting hung up. This was supposed to be just a short continuation but it just kept getting longer and longer. But still, I am satisfied. I hope you have enjoyed it. I certainly enjoyed writing it. ^.^


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